Positioning Statements

Transcription

1 Positioning Statements Each statement was presented separately. Respondents were given time to independently evaluate the statement prior to engaging in a group discussion. Health insurance may be less expensive than you think There are many different types of health insurance available at a wide range of prices. Employers can even share the cost of health insurance with their workers. You can offer your employees a choice of coverage options Through purchasing cooperatives, even very small businesses can offer every employee a choice among multiple health plans. Learning more about health insurance is easy There are convenient, simple, unbiased information sources that allow you to compare and evaluate your health plan options both online and by phone. Small businesses can provide their employees with health insurance Under state law, businesses with 2-50 employees CANNOT be denied health insurance coverage based on the health status of their employees. Even if employees have health problems, premiums can t be more than 10% above the costs for a firm with healthy employees. Health Insurance Costs are Deductible Employer contributions for health insurance are fully tax-deductible as business expenses. Employer contributions for health insurance are tax-efficient in that they are not subject to payroll taxes such as FICA and FUTA. Employee contributions also can be structured so that they are not subject to payroll taxes.

2 Discussion Guide I. Introduction and Warm-Up (10 minutes) Moderator s introduction: process, taping and observation Respondent introduction: name, type and size of business, position within the business We are going to spend the next hour or so discussing health insurance. Now, I know this is a huge subject with a lot of different variables to consider so I would like to slowly dissect this issue so I can get a full understanding of the issues you as small business operators face. II. Current Awareness of Health Insurance Plan Options/Information Availability (25 minutes) How do you feel about employers offering health insurance to their employees? Who has ever considered providing health coverage to their employees? What options did you explore? Who has researched the possibility of providing health coverage to their employees? Thinking about all the information you have accessed, what to the best of your knowledge are your options regarding providing health insurance to your employees? (Make full list on flip chart) What do you know about this (ask for each options listed) Thinking specifically about the research you have done regarding providing health insurance coverage for your employees What types of things did you research? Who did you look to, to get this information (Probe sources such as brokers, business organizations, health plan/insurance providers) Where did you get this information (Probe) How did you go about finding this information? Was it difficult or easy to access? Were you satisfied with what you found out? Did it answer all your questions? Was there any information were you looking for but could not find? What specifically? What did you end up doing to solve this lack of information?

3 III. Decision-making Process. (20 minutes) Now I want you to think about how decisions about providing health coverage to your employees is made at your place of business How would the decision-making process regarding health benefits work? Walk me through the process step by step. Probe for: Who makes the ultimate decision? Who collects the information? Is it presented to you? Do your employees play a role in this process? What? Is this a talked-about issue at your place of business? Is it a tense issue? What sorts of things are being talked about? Has not offering health insurance at your place of work affected your business or business operations in any way? How? (Probe) IV. Motivators/ Barriers to Offering Health insurance to Employees (25 minutes) FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT CURRENTLY OFFER HEALTH COVERAGE: How did you ultimately arrive at the decision not to offer health insurance to your employees? I want you each to make a list of the reasons why you do not offer health insurance to your employees. What were the factors you considered? (Probe: economics, competition, etc) How did each of these play into your decision? Once everyone has done this discuss what he or she wrote down and list on flip chart. Probe extensively on the dimensions of the argument of economics (too expensive, too unpredictable, cost benefit analysis, would cut into profits, etc) as well as all other reasons beyond economics (i.e.: not legally bound to, not my problem, compensate them well enough, employees prefer cash wages, administrative hassles, etc) How do you see these as drawbacks? How are these negative to your business? Is there anything you can see that could alleviate these issues for you and make you perhaps consider offering health insurance to your employees? Can you think of any advantages associated with offering your employees health insurance? (List on Flip Chart) Are these valuable to your business? How could this benefit your business? Do any of these outweigh the drawbacks you mentioned earlier?

4 FOR THOSE WHO CURRENTLY OFFER HEALTH COVERAGE: How did you ultimately arrive at the decision to offer health insurance to your employees? I want you each to make a list of the reasons why you decided to offer health insurance to your employees. What were the factors you considered? (Probe: economics, competition, employee demand, the right thing to do, etc) How did each of these play into your decision? Once everyone has done this, discuss what he or she wrote down and list on flip chart. Probe extensively on the all the reasons How do you see these as advantages? How are these positive to your business? Was there a single thing, more than any other, that convinced youto provide your employees with health coverage? Can you think of any disadvantages associated with offering your employees health insurance? (List on Flip Chart) Do any of these outweigh the benefits you mentioned earlier? V. Positioning/ Concept Statements (25 minutes) Each statement will be posted on a white piece of paper and read to the respondents. Respondents will then be given a copy of the statement and asked to underline the key words/phrases that are most important to them and cross out any words/phrases that they do not like, cause confusion etc. Please rate the statement on a scale of 1 to 3 with 1 meaning this statement is interesting and tells me something I didn t know and makes me want to find out more; 2 indicates that the statement, while somewhat interesting, does not motivate me to seek out more information; and 3 means you do not believe this statement at all and would not take the time to read it. (Moderator will put the 1-3 rating legend on a flip chart for people to refer to) What is the main message you take away from this statement? Were you aware of this? Is this new information to you? Does it address an issue you have? Is it relevant to you and/ or your business? Do you believe this statement? Do you consider this statement to be credible? Who do you think is sponsoring this statement? What makes you think that? Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Why If someone else (Who?) sponsored this statement, would it be more credible?

5 FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT CURRENTLY OFFER HEALTH COVERAGE EMPLOYEES: Does this motivate you to seek out more information? Would this inspire you to consider re-evaluating the possibility of offering health coverage to your employees? If yes: What would be your next step? FOR THOSE WHO CURRENTLY OFFER HEALTH COVERAGE: Did this fact play into your decision to offer coverage to your employees? Did you know this? Do you find this a convincing statement? Once all five statements are discussed individually Which statement/ piece of information addresses your concerns best? Which one do you believe would most likely influence you to seek out more information regarding offering health coverage to your employees? Why that one in particular? From whom do you want to hear this information? (Probe: who is the most credible source? That is from whom- probe for person, organizations, business association etc. would you be likely to pay attention to this information?) VI. Communications (15 minutes) [Ask them to write down their answer first before speaking] What would be the best way to convey business health coverage messages to you? (Probe for each type of message separately: i.e.: less expensive, purchasing co-operatives, accessing information, tax deductible. Probe extensively for direct mail, TV/radio/newspaper ad, internet, business associations, trade shows, professional forums etc) 1. Why? If you wanted more detailed or comprehensive information on (specific item), How would you want this information to be presented to you? (Probe: seminars, printed material, interactive?) VII. Wrap-up and Final Comments

6 Recruitment Screener Segment A: Business Decision-Makers (BDMs) with <10 employees and DO offer health insurance Segment B: BDMs with employees and DO offer health insurance Segment C: BDMs with <10 employees and DO NOT offer health insurance Segment D: BDMs with employees who DO NOT offer health insurance Hello Mr./Ms.. My name is, and I am calling from, a market research company in. We are inviting business professionals like yourself to participate in a discussion about health insurance. This project involves absolutely no sales or presentations; it is strictly for market research purposes. You will be compensated for your time. If you are interested in attending, I would like to ask you some background questions to ensure that we speak with a representative group of people. The questions will take only a few minutes. 1. Establish whether: Male Female (Recruit a mix) 2. We would like to speak to the person at your company who is the principal decision-maker regarding health insurance coverage for the employees at your company. Is that person available? Yes, I am the person who makes those decisions (Continue Skip to Q. 4) Yes, but it is not me who makes those decisions (Continue) No (Thank and terminate) 3. Can I please have the name and number of the person who is the principal decision-maker regarding health insurance coverage for the employees at your company so that I can call him/her at a later date? Yes (Record name and number below) No (Thank and terminate) CALLBACK Name: Phone: 4a. Is your business a subsidiary or franchise of a larger organization that makes benefit decisions on your business s behalf? Yes No

7 4b. Do you, or does any member of your household or immediate family work, or have they worked in the past, for any of the following types of companies? (Terminate any Yes) Market research or usability testing Advertising or Public Relations Insurance Company Health Care Company 5. Are you (Read list): Employed Full-time Employed Part-time Homemaker Unemployed Student or Retiree 6. What is your job title? Record exact title: Owner/Co-Owner President CEO Manager Head of HR Other (Record: ) (Continue, HOLD, and call KB & P) 7. What is the name of your company? Record: Recruit no more than one person per company. 8. In what type of industry is your company involved? Financial Services Securities Telecommunications Manufacturing Utilities Government Education Transportation Communications Insurance Wholesale Retail Services Health Care Other (No more than two) Recruit a similar mix of industries in each group

8 9. How many full-time employees does your company have, including remote locations? Please include yourself in this number. Record exact response: (If 2-5, ask: Are all these employees related? Terminate if yes) Is your organization/company currently offering health insurance coverage to its employees? Yes (Segment A & B must mention Skip to Q.12) No 11. Has your organization/company ever offered health insurance coverage to its employees? Yes No (Segment C & D must mention to continue) 12. What is the name of your health insurance coverage provider? Record: Segment A & B Skip to Q Which of the following statements comes closest to your view? (READ LIST) I will definitely never offer healthcare insurance to my employees I will probably not offer healthcare insurance to my employees I might offer healthcare insurance to my employees I am likely to offer healthcare insurance to my employees in the future Recruit a mix 14. How long has your organization/company been in business? Less than 1year 1 year to 4 years 5 years to 9 years 10 years to 19 years 20 or more years Recruit a mix 15. Which of the following describes the wages of most of your employees? Minimum wage Hourly, but not minimum wage Salaried Independent contractors Mix (Record which responses if a mix) Other (Record, HOLD and call KB&P)

9 Recruit a mix

10 16. Approximately what would you say is the average yearly salary/amount that one of your full time employees is paid? <$20,000 $20,000 49,999 $50,000 74,999 $75,000+ Recruit a similar mix for Segments A, B, C & D, with several respondents from the high and low end in each group. It is important that each group has a range of income levels. 17. Which statement, if any, best describes your company? Business is poor we re struggling Business is okay Business is good Try to recruit a mix 18. And just to make sure we get a representative sample, what is your ethnicity? Caucasian Hispanic/Latino African American Asian Pacific Islanders Other (Record exact response) Recruit a mix per group with at least 2-3 per group being of Hispanic/Latino decent